Nadia Coughlin
Natalie Coughlin, an American competitive swimmer, must have a vast room in which to keep all of her trophies. While a student at UC Berkeley, she became the first woman to swim the 100-meter backstroke in under one minute. Six years later, in 2008, she became the first American woman to win six gold medals in a single Olympic Games. Sixty of Coughlin’s medals were from competitions held on a global scale. She’s a brand ambassador now, thanks to her high-profile athletic career. Her very name has come to represent triumph. She also invests in a food company as a businessperson.
The Olympic gymnast Kerri Walsh Jennings
Kerri Walsh Jennings, who played volleyball at Stanford University, is widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest all-around athletes. She refined her game and went on to win three Olympic gold medals in beach volleyball. She and her teammate, Misty-May Treanor, are often hailed as the sport’s greatest doubles pairing. Kerri Walsh is still active in the sport and in the entertainment industry, appearing in movies and on television. With a total of $2,561,635 throughout her career, she has set a new record for female earners.